Laminater

ABSTRACT

A laminater for laminating a film cut to a predetermined length onto a substrate with positioning holes has a punching device for forming alignment holes in the film which correspond to the positioning holes in the substrate. The punching device is disposed adjacent to the path along which the film in continuous form is supplied to the substrate. The punching device is equipped with an apparatus for directing a gaseous fluid against the film to remove chips of the film resulting from the punching operation.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a punching device and, moreparticularly, to a technique effective for application to a filmpunching device for use with a laminater.

BACKGROUND ART

Printed-wiring boards to be used for electronic equipment such ascomputers are prepared by forming a determined pattern of wiring ofcopper or the like on one or both sides of an insulating substrate.

Printed-wiring boards of this kind may be prepared by the followingmanufacturing steps.

First, a laminated film consisting of a photosensitive resin(photoresist) layer and a translucent resin film (protective layer)protecting the photosensitive resin layer is laminated bythermocompression bonding on a conductive layer mounted on an insulatingsubstrate. The lamination by thermocompression bonding may be conductedon a large scale using a film laminating apparatus or a so-calledlaminater. Thereafter, a wiring pattern film is superposed on thelaminated film, and the photosensitive resin layer is exposed for adetermined period of time through the wiring pattern film and thetranslucent resin film. After the translucent resin film is peeled offusing a peeling device, the exposed photosensitive resin layer isdeveloped to form an etching mask pattern. Thereafter, unnecessaryportions of the conductive layer are removed by etching and further theremaining photosensitive resin layer is removed, thereby producing aprinted-wiring board with a predetermined wiring pattern.

In the manufacturing steps of the printed-wiring boards as describedabove, it is necessary during the step of exposing the photosensitiveresin layer to superpose the wiring pattern film on the laminated filmlaminated on the substrate by thermocompression bonding. Thissuperposition is carried out by fitting a positioning pin in a guidehole (or a positioning hole) formed at a corner or end portion of thesubstrate and a guide hole (or a positioning hole) formed on the wiringpattern film so as to correspond to the above guide hole. Since thelaminated film is laminated on the substrate, a hole for fitting thepositioning pin is formed on the laminated film by punching at theposition corresponding to the guide hole on the substrate prior to thefitting of the positioning pin. The punching of the laminated film maybe effected manually using a drill or a punch or mechanically using apunching device for exclusive use after the laminated film has beenlaminated on the substrate by thermocompression bonding.

However, manual or mechanical punching of the laminated film causesproblems, resulting in extremely poor work efficiency.

In forming a hole by punching the laminated film, chips of the laminatedfilm are scattered on the laminated film on which a wiring pattern isformed and it is extremely hard to clear such chips. This prevents thewiring pattern from being drawn accurately on the photosensitive resinlayer, resulting in decreased yield in the manufacture of printed-wiringboards.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a laminater capable ofimproving work efficiency.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a laminatercapable of improving manufacturing yield, in addition to achieving theabove object.

The present invention is characterized in that, in a laminater forlaminating a film, which is cut to a predetermined length, on asubstrate with positioning holes, a punching device for formingthrough-holes of predetermined sizes on the film at positionscorresponding to the positioning holes of the substrate is disposed at apredetermined position on a film feeding passage along which the film isfed from a film feeding apparatus to the substrate. With thisarrangement, the present invention can form through holes at thethrough-hole positions on the film corresponding to the positions of thepositioning holes on the substrate prior to or during lamination of thefilm on the substrate so that work efficiency can be improved.

The present invention is also characterized in that, in a laminater forlaminating a film, which is cut to a predetermined length, on asubstrate with positioning holes, a punching device for formingthrough-holes of predetermined sizes on the film at positionscorresponding to the positioning holes of the substrate is disposed at apredetermined position on a film feeding passage along which the film isfed from a film feeding apparatus to the substrate and a device isprovided for removing chips of the film produced as the film is punchedwith the punching device. With this arrangement, the present inventioncan improve work efficiency because the through-holes can be formed atthe through-hole positions of the film corresponding to the positioningholes of the substrate prior to or during the lamination of the film onthe substrate, as well as improve manufacturing yield because thethrough-holes are formed at the through-hole positions prior to orduring the lamination of the film on the substrate and the chips of thefilm can be removed at this moment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagrammatical view illustrating an embodiment ofa laminater according to the present invention.

FIGS. 2 to 5 are each a view illustrating the detail of the punchingdevice in FIG. 1, in which:

FIG. 2 is a sectional view illustrating the punching device cut with aplane perpendicular to the film surface;

FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating the punching device, taken in thedirection of the line III--III in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating the portion A in FIG.2; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged bottom view illustrating the portion A in FIG. 2.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The embodiments of the present invention will be described withreference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagrammatical view of the laminater that is anembodiment according to the present invention.

It is constructed such that a substrate 1 having usually a platethickness of about 1.6 mm is fed by inlet feeding rolls 2 in thedirection of the arrow 3 and delivered by delivery rolls 6 while a film(a laminated film) 4, 4 being fed in upward and downward directions ofthe substrate 1 from both upper and lower sides is bondedthermocompressively by a pair of heat rolls 5, 5 consisting of inductionheat jacket rollers. There is no difference between the aboveconstruction and the conventional one. Whilst the apparatus isconstructed symmetrically at the both upper and lower sides of thesubstrate 1, the one disposed at the upper side will be described herefor brevity of description.

In an apparatus for feeding the film 4, the film 4 formed in athree-layer structure consisting of a photoresist (photosensitive resin)layer as a middle layer, a polyethylene (translucent resin) layer on thesurface thereof as a cover film and a polyethylene terephthalate film(translucent resin) layer as a carrier film is wound on a feeding roll7. In order to remove the polyethylene layer from the film layers of thethree-layer construction, the feeding apparatus of the film 4 isprovided with a take-up roll 8. In a film feeding passage along whichthe film 4 of a predetermined length is fed onto the substrate 1 of apredetermined length from the feeding apparatus is provided a freeroller 9 designed in the up-and-down direction. Each time the film 4 isfed to a newly supplied substrate 1, the free roller 9 is displaced to aposition where a tension is applied in the downward direction to feed tothe substrate 1 the film 4 of a length corresponding to the length ofthe movement.

At a vertical location below of the free roller 9 is provided a mainvacuum plate 10 formed integrally with a vacuum chamber for enabling asuction force to be applied to the surface of the plate. The main vacuumplate 10 is connected to move in the up-and-down direction by (a pistonrod of) a first air cylinder 11 through a connecting member 12 andconstructed to hold the film 4 by suction when the vacuum chamber formedtherewithin communicates with a vacuum pump (not shown).

The first air cylinder 11 is connected through connecting members 14a,14b to a second air cylinder 15. The second air cylinder 15 is in turnconnected to a rotary cutter apparatus 16 through the connecting members14a, 14b, to a second vacuum plate 17 having a suction action on thesurface thereof and located under the lower end portion 10a of the mainvacuum plate 10 to face a cutter 16a of the rotary cutter apparatus 16,and to a third air cylinder 19 which causes the second vacuum plate 17to be operated in the horizontal direction through a piston rod 18a. Thelower end portion 10a of the main vacuum plate 10 is formed in an arc ina cross section and is provided with a heater 13.

In the neighborhood of the circumferential surface of the heat roll 5 isprovided a film suction member 20 which has a length virtuallyequivalent to the breadth of the heat roll 5 and is of a hollow bodyhaving a nearly triangular cross section. It is provided with a numberof suction holes 21 on the side surfaces facing the film and issupported by supporting arms 22 mounted in parallel to the both endsurfaces of the heat roll 5. The supporting arms 22 are rotated at avelocity equal to or a little bit slower than that of the heat roll 5after the film 4 has been cut (while the rear end portion of the filmremains still stuck) and are provided therein with through-holes (notshown) communicating the hollow chamber of the film suction member 20with an exterior source of vacuum.

Furthermore, on the film feeding passage, more specifically, at aposition above the main vacuum plate 10, a punching device 30 with acutter supporter 32 having a cutter 31 and a die supporter 34 having adie 33 corresponding to the cutter 31 mounted adjacent to both sides ofthe film 4 is mounted to a frame 42 constituting the main body in mannerto be movable in the up-and-down direction by a driving mechanism.

FIGS. 2 to 5 are illustrations of the details of the punching device 30,in which FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view cut by a plane perpendicularto the film surface, FIG. 3 is a side view in the direction of the lineIII--III in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of theportion A in FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 is an enlarged bottom view of theportion A in FIG. 2. In the drawings, the cutter 31 having a cylindricalcross section is accommodated in a cutter holding member 32a so as to bemovable in a back-and-forth direction by compressed air pressure orother appropriate means. The cutter holding member 32a is in turnmounted at predetermined positions (4 positions in the drawings) of thecutter supporter 32.

The cutter supporter 32 is mounted and held at a predetermined distanceon a frame member 37 supported on the frame 42 of the main body of thelaminater through arms 36, 36 using two supporting bolts 38, 38.

The die supporter 34 equipped with a die 33 through which the cutter 31passes, is supported by a driving apparatus such as a hydraulic cylinderor the like so as to face the cutter supporter 32 and to move with thetwo supporting bolts 38, 38 serving as guiding shafts. At one end of theframe member 37, as shown in FIG. 3, a gear apparatus 41 for moving theframe member 37 vertically in an up-and-down direction is arranged in amanner engageable with a screw shaft 40 supported on the laminater bodythrough the arm 36. At the other end of the frame member 37 is mounted aguiding member 44 engageable with a groove portion 43 formed on the arm36. These mechanisms are utilized for adjustment in selecting punchingpositions because substrates 1 to be used are in various sizes and,moreover, the punching positions vary with the sizes of films 4corresponding to the sizes of the substrates. It is to be noted herethat chips of the film 4 resulting from the punching of the film 4 areblown off by means of compressed air introduced through the through-hole32b of the cutter holding member 32a and passing through the inside ofthe cylindrical cutter 31, and retained in a space under the die 33. Thechips retained in the space are then removed by a chips removingapparatus, for instance, by collecting the chips in a chips collectionbox by means of a suction force, although not shown in the drawings. Itmay also be possible to manually remove the chips retained in the space.It is also to be noted in the present invention that a photoelectricsensor (not shown) for detecting a length of the substrate 1 may bemounted in the vicinity of the feeding rolls 2 and signals detectedthereby are fed to positioning means for each of the punching device anda cutting apparatus, thereby setting the punching and cutting positionsof the film automatically in accordance with lengths of the substratesbeing conveyed.

Thus, the laminater for laminating the film 4 cut to a predeterminedlength on the substrate 1 having positioning holes (guide holes) canimprove work efficiency because the film 4 can be punched at thepunching positions in accordance with the positions of the positioningholes of the substrate 1 prior to or during the lamination of the film 4by mounting the punching device 30 for forming holes (through-holes) inpredetermined sizes by punching the film 4 at the positionscorresponding to the positioning holes on the substrate 1, atpredetermined positions on the film feeding passage which feeds the filmto the substrate 1.

By mounting the apparatus for removing the chips of the film 4 resultingfrom the punching of the film 4 with the punching device 30, it is alsoto be noted that work efficiency can be improved because holes can beformed by punching the film 4 at the punching positions prior to orduring the lamination of the film 4 on the substrate 1 and the chips ofthe film 4 can be removed at this moment.

The operations in this embodiment are conducted in the following order,with the description applying to the upper portion of the substrate forbrevity, it being understood that the identical operations can beapplied to the lower portion of the substrate.

(I) The film 4 composed of the three-layer construction wound on thefeeding roll 7 is caused, after the polyethylene layer thereof has beenwound on the take-up roll 8, to be manually pulled down via the freeroller 9 to position the front end of the film 4 at the lower endportion 10a of the main vacuum plate 10 located underneath, that is, ata position of the cutter 16a.

(II) When the substrate 1 is transferred by the inlet feeding rolls 2 toa predetermined position, the inside of the second vacuum plate 17 iscaused to communicate with the vacuum pump so that it catches the frontend of the film 4 pulled down (the film 4 cut with the cutter 16a when acontinuous operation is being run) by the suction force. While carryingthe film 4, vacuum plate 17 is retracted by the third air cylinder 18 tothereby allow the front end of the film 4 to be caught on the arcuatesurface of the lower end portion 10a of the main vacuum plate 10 wherethe vacuum suction action is working. At the same time, the free roller9 releases a length of film sufficient to give a slight margin for astroke of the main vacuum plate 10.

As the front end portion of the substrate 1 is conveyed to a positionnearly directly below the main vacuum plate 10, the rotation of thefeeding rolls 2 stops, thereby stopping the substrate 1. Then twopressing members (not shown) press the substrate 1.

(III) By operating the first air cylinder 11, the film 4 stuck on themain vacuum plate 10, in particular, the arcuate surface at the lowerend portion 10a thereof, is lowered to the position of the substrate 1and temporarily bonded thermocompressively on the substrate 1.

(IV) After the front end portion of the film 4 has been temporarilybonded thermocompressively on the substrate 1, the vacuum suction actionof the main vacuum plate 10 is stopped temporarily to release the film4, and then the main vacuum plate 10 is raised by the first air cylinder11 upwardly from the substrate 1. At the same time, the second aircylinder 15 is operated to move the rotary cutter apparatus 16, thesecond vacuum plate 17 and the connecting member 14a of the first aircylinder 11 in the upward direction, away from the substrate 1.

(V) At the same time as the main vacuum plate 10 is raised apredetermined distance, the rotating heat roll 5 approaches thesubstrate 1 and clamps the substrate 1 to which the front end of thefilm 4 is bonded temporarily by thermocompression. At the same time, thefeeding rolls 2 start rotating again, and the film 4 is bonded bythermocompression and then delivered. At this moment, the second vacuumplate 17 stops its vacuum suction action and returns to the originalposition, in the left direction as shown in the drawing, where it facesthe cutter 16a.

(VI) The free roller 9 is returned to the original position in a statein which the film 4 is clamped sufficiently with the heat roll 5 (duringthis time, the film 4 is continuously laminated on the substrate 1).

(VII) As a particular amount (a particular length) of the film 4 is fed,the second air cylinder 15 is operated and the entire apparatus islowered toward the substrate 1. At this time, the film 4 is caught byvacuum action of the main vacuum plate 10 and the second vacuum 17, andas the main vacuum plate 10 and the second vacuum plate 17 are loweredby the second air cylinder 15, at a speed faster than the speed forlaminating the film 4 on the substrate 1 (equal to the circumferentialspeed of the heat roll 5). At a particular position (the bottom point),the main vacuum plate 10 and the second vacuum plate 17 are stopped. Atthis moment, the film 4 is in a loose state between the second vacuumplate 17 and the heat roll 5. During a period of time until that portionof the film 4 in the loose state is fully delivered to the heat roll, aportion of the film located on the cutter apparatus portion is heldstationary to permit the film 4 to be cut by moving the rotary cutter16a in the widthwise direction of the continuous film 4.

The apparatus may be constructed such that, while the cutter 16a islowered simultaneously with the main vacuum plate 10 and the secondvacuum plate 17 at a speed substantially equal to or a little fasterthan the circumferential speed of the heat roll 5, the film is cutduring its downward movement by displacing the rotary cutter 16a in thewidthwise direction across the continuous film 4. In this case, the filmpositioned on the cutter apparatus portion does not move relative to therotary cutter in the film feeding direction so that the film can be cutin the same manner as the film is stationary, as described above. Afterthe film has been cut, the die supporter 34 of the punching device 30 ismoved toward the cutter supporter 32 by the driving apparatus 39. At adistance of about 2 mm, the cutter 31 is inserted into the die 33,thereby punching holes in the film 4. At the same time, air is blownthrough the hole 32b to remove small pieces and minute chips of the film4 resulting from the punching thereof.

It is noted here that the size of the hole to be formed on the film bypunching is designed to be a little larger than the correspondingpositioning hole formed previously by punching the substrate 1.

(VIII) In order to prevent the film 4, cut as described above, fromcoming down and to ensure a normal compressive bonding action withoutcausing any bubbles and wrinkles when the rear end portion of the cutfilm 4 is laminated on the substrate 1 by thermocompression bonding, therear end portion of the cut film 4 is transferred near the substrate 1along the circumferential surface of the heat roll 5 while it issupported by the suction hole 21 of the film suction member 20, and thenthe suction is released to effect the thermocompression bonding.

(IX) Thereafter, the clamping action of the heat rolls 5 is released andthe pair of heat rolls 5 are separated from each other and returned tothe original positions. It is to be noted here that, at this moment, thefirst and third air cylinders are returned to the position inpreparation for the next stage (the position as shown in FIG. 1).

As described above, the film 4 can be punched at the positionsconinciding with the positions of the holes previously punched on thesubstrate 1 and the film 4 can be cut to correspond to the length of thesubstrate, thereby eliminating adverse effects exerted heretofore uponthe punching of holes on the substrate in conventional devices,particularly adverse effects resulting from chips. It is also noted thatheating of the film by the heat rolls 5 can be excluded, and workefficiency can be improved because the film 4 can be laminated on thesubstrate continuously without stoppage.

It is to be understood that, in the embodiment above, an example hasbeen described, in which the cutter supporter 32 is stationary and thedie supporter 34 is moved toward the cutter supporter 32; however, thepresent invention includes the case when the motion of both supportersis reversed. Although the above embodiment describes the structure inwhich the punching device 30 is moved up-and-down by the drivingapparatus in accordance with the size of the substrate, it is to benoted that the apparatus of the present invention can be arranged andoperated so that the holes are formed at positions which coincide withthe positions where the holes are formed in the substrate. For example,it is possible to allow the punching device to be moved in unison withthe first or second transferring apparatus, or to be mounted on a membercapable of moving at a speed equal to the film.

It is also possible that the present invention may be constructed toprovide a laminater with a punching device which can form holes on thefilm 4 with laser beams.

I claim:
 1. In a laminater for laminating a film onto a substrate andhaving feed means for feeding a substrate along a substrate feed path,the substrate having positioning holes to assist in aligning the filmthereon, film feeding means for feeding the film from a continuous webalong a film feed path, bonding means to bond the film onto a surface ofthe substrate, film handling means for tacking a leading edge portion ofthe film onto a leading edge portion of the substrate and formaintaining the position of the film relative to the substrate surfaceto prevent wrinkling of the film during bonding, cutting meanspositioned along the film feed path for cutting the film to a lengthcorresponding to the length of the substrate during bonding, and meansto remove the laminated substrate from the bonding means, theimprovement comprising:a punching device provided at a predeterminedposition on the film feed path to form alignment holes in said film;removal means operatively associated with the punching device to removefrom the film chips formed by the punching of the film and to collectsaid chips, said removal means including means for directing a gaseousfluid against the formed chips; and control means to control operationof said punching device to form the alignment holes in said film atpositions which correspond to the positioning holes on said substratewhen said film has been laminated on said substrate, said control meansincluding sensor means positioned along said substrate feed path todetect the positioning holes in said substrate and operating means tooperate said punching device in response to said sensor means.
 2. Alaminater as set forth in claim 1, wherein said control means furthercomprises means for moving said punching device along said film feedpath.
 3. A laminater as set forth in claim 1, wherein said punchingdevice comprises a pair of cutters, each coacting with a respective dieto form said alignment holes in said film, said cutter having flowcontrol means for directing the gaseous fluid against the formed chips.4. A laminater as set forth in claim 3, wherein each of said cutters isprovided with a flow passage for the gaseous fluid.
 5. A laminater asset forth in claim 3, wherein said cutters are adjustably positioned ona cutter support disposed adjacent to one surface of said film, and saiddies are adjustably positioned on a die support disposed adjacent to theother surface of said film.